Experiences the good and the bad
by yajf95
Summary: It is our experiences that make us who we are. Sometimes a bad situation can benefit us in the long run. But it is not without its pitfalls like hurt and pain. No matter how bad or good it is, our experiences define who we are.


Arrow Fanfiction

_I do not own the show Arrow or any of the characters that I have written into this story._

It is our experiences that make us who we are. Sometimes a bad situation can benefit us in the long run. But it is not without its pitfalls like hurt and pain. No matter how bad or good it is, our experiences define who we are.

Felicity walked into the Foundry trying but failing to conceal the left side of her face. She sat down at her chair and proceeded as she normally would however catching a glimpse of her reflection made her regret not calling in sick to Oliver. Oliver and Diggle finished up with their sparring and made their way over to Felicity.

"Felicity, how is the blood analysis going on Roy's blood? Any traces of Vertigo?" Oliver asked as he came to stand on Felicity's left side.

Before answering Felicity covered the left side of her face with her hand, which did not go unnoticed by both Oliver and Diggle. "Fortunately for Roy, no traces of vertigo in his blood, unfortunately for us we don't know who the count was working with or if he sold his remaining vials of vertigo to some other nut job in this city."

"You ok Felicity?" Diggle asked noticing the force she used in her last sentence.

"I'm fine." Felicity replied as she put her head down.

Oliver moved to her right to try and get a glimpse of her face which she was trying her best to hide from the both of them. As he did Felicity swiveled her chair just enough in the opposite direction for Oliver to miss.

"Do you have something on your face that you don't want to share with us Felicity?" Diggle asked with slight amusement in his voice.

Felicity knew that they would find out sooner or later so she turned to face them head on.

Oliver's face grew tight and all he could manage to say in his Arrow voice was, "What happened?"

Oliver was referring to the big black and blue bruise covering her left eye.

When all Felicity could do was harden her face and look down, Dig kneeled down so he was eye level with Felicity and asked softly, "Who did this to you Felicity?"

Felicity closed her eyes and let out a sigh, "Isobel Rochev."

"Why would she hit you?" Oliver replied in disbelief.

Both Felicity and Diggle looked at him with anger in their eyes.

"Why would I lie?" Felicity asked.

Oliver looked away as Diggle asked, "Tell us what happened from the beginning Felicity."

Felicity hesitated but decided to go ahead anyway. "I was in my office late last night preparing for today when Isobel came in….

Flashback to last night.

"Ms. Roschev can I help you with something?"

"Where's Oliver?" She asked with what Felicity could smell was vodka on her breath. Felicity stood to approach and noticed her smudged make up and how she was only just managing to stay on her two feet.

"He's left for the night. Can I help you with something?" Felicity asked warily.

"No, but I bet you're helping Oliver with everything he needs."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't act like such a blonde idiot. You know what I mean. I'll tell you exactly what I told Oliver. A blonde I.T girl doesn't get promoted to executive assistant to the CEO by being nice and friendly."

"One- I don't exactly consider the job I'm doing now as a promotion, more like a demotion and two you're drunk and you need to leave."

Suddenly the room got cold and silent and Ms. Roschev said in the most sinister voice, "But it's you I wanted to see Ms. Smoak and I'm not done yet."

Felicity froze in fear as Ms. Roschev walked towards her and before she knew it she was on the ground and her head was thumping. Felicity held the left side of her head and looked up to a gun and without thinking self preservation kicked in and she grabbed Isobel's ankles and pulled as hard as she could. Isobel went down however the gun was still in her hand. Felicity got up, ignoring her pain and pressed her heel down on Isobel's hand and grabbed the gun.

Present time

"I called an ambulance and the police, they arrived and I was questioned and cleared. The gun was registered in Isobel's name and they believed my version of events."

"Where's Isobel right now?" Oliver asked with a voice that no-one could decipher.

"The hospital, when she fell she hit her head pretty hard, last I heard the paramedics said that she had a concussion."

Oliver turned and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Diggle asked.

Oliver turned and replied, "To see if Isobel's ok."

Anger flashed over Felicity's face as she stood up but Diggle got in first.

"Where's your head man? You saw what she did to Felicity. She was going to kill her and maybe if she wasn't drunk and without Felicity's quick thinking, she may have succeeded."

"Well how do you explain Isobel being in hospital right now and not Felicity?"

"Maybe if she wasn't drunk Oliver you would be visiting me or maybe worse visiting my grave at Starling City cemetery. And judging by the look on your face, maybe that's the way you would have preferred it."

"Maybe I would."

"Say one more word Oliver and you'll be the one in the hospital."

"It's ok Dig, I want Oliver to get this out of his system. What exactly are you trying to say Oliver?"

"I know you have feelings for me Felicity, you have since day one. At first it was just a silly school girl crush but now it's developing. It developed ever since you caught me and Isobel in Russia. I don't think it was Isobel who was jealous last night, I think it was you."

Felicity's mouth dropped open and tears began to form in her eyes but her anger was stopping them from dropping.

"THEN HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE GUN?"

"Isobel told me she was attacked as a teenager and ever since then she carries a holster containing her registered gun."

"You may not believe me Oliver so check something that cannot lie, check the cameras inside the office but just a pre warning if you do, if you do, that means you don't trust me and where there is no trust there is no partnership and there is no team."

"Get out Felicity." Oliver replied.

Felicity stepped back, looked down and walked past Oliver. She then stopped, closed her eyes and then turned around to face him head on. He had said more than his fair share of hurtful things so now it was her turn to say one.

"I wish you had died on that island, maybe if you did, I would never have been dragged into this mess."

Oliver's face hardened and before he could reply all he could see was Felicity's retreating form.

Felicity decided to be the bigger person and go into work the next day. She had one defining question, a question that would decide how she would move forward. To her somewhat relief it was Diggle in Oliver's office alone.

"Did Oliver check the security footage?"

Diggle hesitated and looked down before answering, "I tried to stop him." Diggle said looking Felicity in the eye.

Felicity nodded and looked away answering, "Decision made."

"What decision?" asked Diggle with fear in his voice.

"I'm quitting, both jobs. I've been offered a job as an I.T liason officer in Afghanistan." Felicity said directly with a small but not genuine smile on her face.

Diggle opened his mouth and then closed it again trying to come up with the words that would make her change her mind but all he could come up with was, "Don't do this Felicity. I know Oliver was way out of line last night but…"

"He was right, not about everything but about some things. I really feel that this is for the best."

"What do you want me to tell Oliver?"

"Goodbye." Felicity said simply.

Felicity gave Dig a genuine smile and then walked back out. As the elevator doors were closing, she saw Oliver's face. All he could do was stare until the doors finally closed. Oliver had felt a lot of guilt in his life but the guilt he was feeling now was different.

As Oliver walked into his office, Diggle was death staring him.

"Say it." Oliver said simply.

"Felicity quit."

"I was expecting as much. I'm going to apologise to her tonight, lucky for us, there aren't many job openings for an IT graduate so she really has no choice but to come back."

"She's not coming back Oliver. I wouldn't be surprised if we never saw her again especially after everything you said to her last night. You took the word jerk to a whole new meaning. The one thing that you were possibly right about was her feelings for you but do you honestly believe that Felicity would let those feelings jeopardize her friendship with you or her place on our team."

"I think you are being a little over dramatic. Like I said I will apologise to her tonight and hopefully get everything normal again by tomorrow morning." Oliver said as he began walking to his desk but what Dig was about to say next stopped him in his tracks."

"Felicity got a job offer and she's accepted it."

"Where?" Oliver asked incredulously

"Afghanistan."

Oliver started to quickly move towards the elevators. Diggle was right on his tail.

"Where are you going?"

"To stop her."

"I know you're not going listen to me when I say it's a waste of time but she did have a message she wanted me to give you."

Oliver got into the elevator. Diggle just stared back at him.

"I'm listening."

"One word, Goodbye."

As soon as he said that Oliver pressed the down button, determined to reach her.

Oliver reached her apartment building and climbed the stairs two at a time. Oliver knocked.

"Felicity. I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but I need to speak to you. You're making a mistake. Please, open the door Felicity."

When nothing but silence answered him back, Oliver picked the lock and he entered. What was waiting for him inside made his breath hitch. Oliver had never been to her apartment before but everything was gone, any personal belongings, furniture, it was all gone. Oliver stepped further into her apartment, took out his cell phone and dialed her number.

Felicity had just gotten to the airport hotel, her flight didn't depart for Afghanistan for another 48 hrs. Her phone began to ring and as soon as she saw who the caller was she turned her phone off, took the battery and sim card out and threw it in the trash. She had already called her family to say goodbye and promised to call them as soon as she arrived.

"Hey, this is Felicity Smoak I am obviously unavailable at the moment or my phone is out of reach and I am currently frantically looking for it, uh anyway you know what to do and I'll try to call you back when I get a chance. Bye."

All Oliver could do was let out the breath he was holding for the chance that she would actually pick up. He took one last look around her apartment when something caught his eye on the kitchen bench. He moved towards it until he realized it was a photograph. It was a picture that was taken by Thea in the office of him, Diggle and Felicity. Oliver wondered whether Felicity had forgotten it or knew he would come to her apartment and left it there for him to find.

Oliver's cell began to ring and he answered it without speaking.

"Oliver, are you there Oliver?" Diggle asked.

"You were right Diggle. Felicity's gone and she's not coming back."

"I'll meet you at the foundry." That was all Dig said before he hung up.

Oliver arrived at the foundry expecting a lecture from Diggle and that is just what he got.

"What the hell were you thinking last night Oliver? Do you actually believe that Felicity would lie about having her life threatened by Isobel because she was jealous?" Diggle said incredulously and in his firmest voice.

Oliver closed his eyes letting Diggle's words sink in.

Diggle let out a sigh and then toned his anger down a notch with the next thing he was about to say.

"You can be a jerk sometimes Oliver, but last night was strange even for you. Felicity's gone and we don't know when or if she's coming back so I guess I just want to know why you acted the way you did last night?"

Oliver walked over to Felicity's chair and sunk down. He put his head in hands and then clasped his hands together, straining to find an answer to Diggle's question.

"I don't know…. I guess I just wanted these feelings to go away. This…what we are doing here is beyond difficult every day without having the drama of jealousy thrown in. I remember what I said but deep down I believed that what Felicity said was the truth. I thought that if I could make her angry enough to leave 1- I wouldn't have to face these feelings and 2- she would be safe and not an innocent person putting herself in danger because of me. "

Diggle's face became indecipherable.

Oliver looked up at him and said. "I was wrong."

"Well, Oliver 1- That is the stupidest answer to my question you could have come up with, 2- yeah I agree she was partly doing this for you but mostly to help this city and 3- Are you just talking about her feelings, or yours as well?"


End file.
